Outdoor Learning

At Holistic Childcare and Education, our outdoor learning initiatives at Closeburn and Maben schools have been both enriching and transformative. At Closeburn, we created a vibrant recycled garden near the art room, featuring homemade trellises, tires, and recycled tubs as planters. This space is flourishing with sweet peas, runner beans, potatoes, courgettes, and a newly built herb garden from a pallet. Our big garden boasts a new shed, raised beds, and a willow branch den, growing radishes, parsnips, carrots, onions, lettuce, strawberries, sunflowers, rhubarb, and various flowers and shrubs. Some of this produce is even used in our school meals, fostering a connection between cultivation and consumption.

At Maben, we’ve laid a pathway with recycled rubber paving stones, maintained the lawn, planted flowers, and cleared space for a new shed. These activities not only enhance our environment but also prioritize outdoor learning, a key focus in Scottish education. Being outdoors significantly contributes to our well-being, offering hands-on experiences that promote holistic development. We are excited to continue expanding these projects and integrating outdoor learning into our curriculum.